Washington—According to the medical establishment, giving hepatitis B vaccine to newborn infants is helping wipe out a disease that infects an estimated 200,000 new Americans each year and kills 4000 to 5000 US residents annually.

But a vocal minority argue—though with scant scientific proof—that the vaccine should not be administered universally to infants because it can cause multiple sclerosis (MS), sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), autism, diabetes, and a host of autoimmune diseases. This minority also claims the vaccine is administered to line the pockets of its manufacturers.